There was a period of calm in Alexandra, but some activity in Cromwell during the past week, according to Alexandra Police senior constable Graham Perkins. 

Police officers came across a strong smell of cannabis at an Alexandra address, while conducting a bail check on Tuesday night.

They executed a search warrant and located 15 grams of plant material made up into $50 bags, which was confiscated.

Enquiries are ongoing as the person in possession of the cannabis alleges it was for medicinal purposes, so are required to produce the required medical paperwork.

That same night a white Audi swerved to avoid two goats on the Clyde to Cromwell highway before Champagne Gully.

There were no injuries, but the vehicle went off the road and needed to be towed.

A 24-year-old Alexandra man was arrested for two petrol drive-offs totalling $270 on Monday.

He is facing theft charges and is due to appear in the Alexandra District Court within seven days. 

“He was identified from CCTV footage . . . it’s not worth it, because most shops and garages have CCTV and you’re going to be identified at some stage, somebody is going to know you,” Const Perkins said. 

A random vehicle stop in Cromwell’s Waenga Dve resulted in a 30-year-old Cromwell man losing his vehicle for 28 days after a police officer recognised the vehicle going past the police station on Monday. The driver had previously been forbidden to drive.

A four-wheel drive towing a trailer was clocked at 131 km/hr in a 100km area between Pisa Moorings and Cromwell township on Saturday.

The driver’s licence has been suspended for 28 days and they were issued with a $460 fine for being 41km over the 90km limit for towing a trailer.

Drink driving also remains a focus for local police.

A vehicle checkpoint near Alexandra’s ice rink on Saturday stopped 175 vehicles and only one drink driver was caught, with a reading of 483 micrograms (mcg). 

A vehicle complaint received on Friday night on Springvale Rd resulted in the male driver accompanying police to the station for an evidential blood test to determine his alcohol level. The result of this test is pending. 

Snr Const Perkins said: “because we are good people we forbid him to drive and we took him home.”

Another male driver in Roxburgh had a breath alcohol reading of 320mcg, and was issued an infringement notice and prohibited from driving for 12 hours. 

A Cromwell man on active charges, breached a condition of his bail not to consume alcohol on Thursday, May 23.

A mobile breath test was carried out, the presence of alcohol was found, and he was arrested and taken to Queenstown for court the following day. 

A woman driving from Hillview Rd into Alexandra was also stopped, breath tested and blew 664mcg last Thursday night. She will appear in the Alexandra District Court and her licence has been suspended for 28 days.

As part of Operation RIDS (restraints, impairment, distraction, speed), which involves a ‘plain vehicle’ in the road policing crew, 11 tickets were issued on Wednesday, May 22 in the Cromwell area due to people not wearing seatbelts and using cellphones while driving

“A lot of them are tradies . . . that’s the thing, they’re calling through the jobs, or they’re texting, or they’ve jumped in because they’ve got to go get a hamburger for lunch . . . a lot of them don't wear seatbelts.” 

Const Perkins said the police had received “a little bit of feedback on 'golf cart gate'” but his message remained the same.

“It’s illegal to ride on the footpath, the postie on their wee electric scooters now are the only ones legally allowed to go on the footpath unless you are in a mobility scooter for medical [reasons].”

Instances of four-wheeler motorbikes moving around on the footpaths, roads, or greenways around the Clyde area have been mentioned to local police.  

“If it’s a golf cart or a motorbike, if they are on a road they need to be warranted and registered and safety equipment needs to be observed.

“All those sorts of things we could throw a book at it, but we don’t want to, we just want voluntary compliance.”

Const Perkins said police were not trying to ruin anyone's fun, but people needed to do things right. 

Read more: Central police investigate burglary

Read more: Drink drivers endangering people's lives

Read more: Golf carts and E-bikes coming to police attention